Shot-hole-clearing tool



Feb. 26, 1924.

l. SVETKOFF snow HOLE CLEARING TOOL Filed Aug. 1l, 1925 Wifiwses:

Patented Feb. 26, 1924.

UNITED IVAN SVETKOFF, OF CLINTON, INDIANA.

SI'IO T-HOLE-CLEARING TOOL.

Application filed August 11, 1923. Serial No. 656,772.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IVAN SVETKOFF, citizen of Serbia, residing at Clinton, in the county of Vermilion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shot-Hole-Clearing Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tools for facilitating the clearing or cleaning of shot holes that are drilled for receiving the blasting charges in the mining of coal.

In the mining of coal, it is customary to drill the face of the vein with shot holes extending at an angle to said face, and then remove the drilling from the hole so that a blasting charge may be properly positioned therein for shattering the coal so that the same may be readily mined and loaded into cars for transportation from the mines.

As these shot holes are often driven in such places and at such angles that they are not readily accessible, the work of clearing the same or removing the drilling therefrom is extremely tedious and difficult, particularly in view of the fact that these shot holes are of considerable depth and necessarily require the use of a scraping or clearing tool with a relatively long handle. Accordingly, it

is an object of the present invention to provide a shot hole clearing tool by means of which the shot holes may be effectively cleared for permitting proper placement of the blasting charge, irrespective of the position of the shot hole or the angle at which it is driven, and irrespective of the location of the shot holes in confined places.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a shot hole clearing toolwhich may be readily employed for the clearing of shot holes of dilferent depths.

Briefly described, the device embodies a scraping blade of arcuate cross section conforming to the shape of the shot hole and having a shank provided with an adjustable or extension handle which may be collapsed for initially placing the scraping tool and which may then be extended or lengthened to insure clearing of the shot hole for its entire depth.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a shot hole clearing blade with an extension handle composed of relatively movable or slidable overlapped sections, and means adjacent the outer end of the inner section for holding the outer section in any desired adjusted position,

whereby the scraping tool may be initially inserted in the shot hole when the handle is collapsed, and whereby the handle may then be readily lengthened and secured in its lengthened condition for permitting clearing of the shot hole for its entire depth.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extension handle for the shot hole clearing blade with means for maintaining the handle in any desired adjusted position, and wherein the structure presented is of extremely practical, simple and durable form.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a shot hole clearing tool constructed in accordance with the present invention, with its handle partially collapsed.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially upon the line 38 of Figure 1, and shown on a larger scale.

Figure l is a view similar to Figure 3, taken on the line H of Figure l, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view partly in side elevation and partly in section, showing the means for retaining the handle sections against relative movement when adjusted.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates the blade of the tool which is of longitudinally elongated form and of arcuate cross section to conform to the shape of the shot hole to be cleared. The blade 5 is provided with an adjustable handle com posed of overlapped and longitudinally slidable sections 6 and 7, the former section being preferably formed integral with the blade 5 as shown. The handle sections 6 and 7 are preferably formed of half round material, so that their mating or adjacent faces are flat and a section through the two handle sections transversely of the handle will present a true circle as shown in Figures 3 and 4:. The inner end of the outer handle section 7 is provided with a sleeve 8 which is secured thereto in any desired manner,

such as by means of a screw 9 and this sleeve or ring 8 embraces the adjacent portion of the handle section 6 as shown clearly in the several views. A split sleeve or ring 10 is similarly secured to the outer end of the handle section 6 by means of a screw 11 or the like, and this sleeve or ring 10 embraces the adjacent portion of the handle section 7 and terminates in end cars 12 which are arranged in spaced relation andhave a cam lever 13 pivoted therebetween by means of a clamping screw 14 or the like. In this manner, the cam lever is disposed to engage the handle section 7 when swung toward the outer end of the latter for efiectively clamping the sections 6 and 7 against relative movement. In other words, when the cam lever 13 is swung toward the blade 5 as shown in Figure 1, the inner cam end of said lever is released from the outer handle section 7 so that the latter may be readily slid to a desired adjusted position upon the inner handle section 6, after which it may be secured in its adjusted position by swinging the cam lever in the opposite direction.

The handle sections are thus slidably connected in overlapped relation in a simple and effective manner, and means is provided of a simple nature for holding the handle sections against relative displace ment when properly adjusted.

If desired, the outer end of the handle section may be directed laterally as at 15 to provide a hand hold or crank arm by means of which the blade 5 may be readily turned. for scraping the walls of the shot hole.

It will thus be seen that when the handle section 7 is slid as far as possible toward the blade 5, a relatively short handle is provided which will not interfere with the placement of the blade within a shot hole in confined places. It will also be seen that 'when the tool has been properly positioned,

the same may be inserted into the shot hole for its entire depth and operated irrespective of the depth of the shot hole within the variations in depth which are practiced, and as the tool is moved further into the shot hole it may be readily manipulated by extending the handle section 7 and securing it into its extended position by proper manipulation of the cam lever 13 as above described.

A simple, durable and efficient form of scraper is thus provided, which will meet with all of the requirements of a successful commercial use.

Minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

A shot hole clearing tool comprising rod sections which are semi-circular in transverse section and having flat diametrical surfaces, the sections overlapping each other with the flat diametrical surfaces in intermittent contact with each other, the band mounted upon one of the rod sections and completely circumscribing both of these sections at their overlapping portions, a band applied to the other rod section and extending around the exterior thereof and partially disposed over the exterior of the other section and having spaced extremities, a cam lever pivoted between. the said spaced extremities and engageable with the last men tioned rod section to hold the sections in fixed relation and adjusted position with respect to each other, one of the rod sections being provided at its ends with an angularly disposed extremity and the other rod section being provided at its end with a transversely curved blade portion which may serve as a handle for the tool.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

IVAN SVETKOFF. 

